The primary transport tube would be a two piece tube of about 7-feet diameter, providing a 9 inch annular space around the pods traveling in it. The lower third of the tube would be a structural metal (aluminum or other) and the upper two-thirds would be tinted clear plastic with structural supports. Additional visual privacy screening via tinting, would be provided on the near building side of the tube. Reference: Tube and Pod Section.

 

The transport tube would be supported above street level by vertical pillars located in the street curb area at about 40' spacing to allow 2 parking spaces between pillars. The tube would be supported between pillars by a bridge type cable suspension system. Reference: Typical Street Mounting

 

Typically, only one tube would be located on the same street as the system is based on an interconnected loop concept. Tube mounting heights would be variable to avoid traffic and other obstacle, with 18 feet above street level being a good average.

 

Curves in the tube:

 

All tube curves (horizontal and vertical) would be parabolic in shape with all horizontal curves using banked floor or ceiling rails. These shapes will result in neutral centrifugal forces on the pod and passenger, and will provide maximum passenger comfort and minimal wear on the system. With the pod floor rails separated by 45 degrees, a 30 degree maximum banking angle would always keep the center of gravity of the pod within the foot-print of the floor rails, so even stopped on a curve, the pod would not roll over. All floor rail curves would be provided with safety guides as added protection from a roll-over on a horizontal curve should the fans stop.

 

The maximum 30 degree banking would mean the system speed of 35 MPH could be maintained with curve bend radii of at least 150 feet. Reference: Banked Curves.

 

Intersections:

 

All tube intersections are shallow angle wye configurations. Because these merge zones do not have a tube wall to bank against, an overhead rail and pod guides must be used, which guide the entering or exiting pod around the curve. This overhead rail must be banked just as the floor rails are except in the opposite direction, and must transfer the pod with no loss in speed or control.

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The overhead rails and pod guide plates will also use opposing magnets to provide a frictionless transit trough a tube intersection. The pod speed and the inside floor rail will hold the pod position in the curved tube until it completely engages the other floor rail. All curve banking and overhead rails will work for any weight pod doing the design speed.

 

The pair of pod diverter rollers used for this maneuver would be retractable to allow passing through the reduced fan zone diameter.

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References: Wye Intersection

 

The curve entry or exit maneuver must begin by electrically engaging the pod diverter rollers against the overhead rail prior to the curve, the rail bumps out to lift the pod out of the floor rails and then bends down the inside wall of the curve at a calculated varying angle to fly the pod around the curve while maintaining the pod in the center of the tube. Once the pod clears the first rails, it lands on the one inside curve rail and disengages the overhead rail once the second floor rail is engage further down the curve. The pod diverter rollers are retracted as soon as the pod guide plates engage the overhead rail. 

 

Reference: Banked Curves.